Rusty: The High-Flying Morgan Horse

This is a great horse story for the younger horse set (9-12 years old). It's very realistic. The main character is learning as she rides, and author Ellen Feld sneaks life's lessons in without you even realizing it. Highly recommended for young horsemen.

We love Ellen Feld's books- both young and old for they appeal to all horse owners and hopefully some prospective ones!

I read Rusty some time ago, finishing it in approximately one day because I could not put it down!!! It was a wonderful book, and I really enjoyed it. This book is third in the Morgan Horse series by Ellen F. Feld, and continues the story of Heather Richardson and her horses Blackjack and Frosty. Frosty is expecting a foal, who is born at the beginning of the novel. As Heather raises "Shadow" and continues to work with her other horses, she branches out and begins jumping. Her friend Laura helps her, and Heather's mount is the talented gelding Rusty. The pair soon enter the exciting world of show jumping, seeking to qualify for the Tri-County Jump-Off. Rusty and Laura came close to winning this event years ago, and Heather is determined that she and Rusty will win this time! Then Heather notices that her foal, Shadow, is developing crooked legs. She will require surgery to fix them. This becomes an exciting subplot to the story. Heather also makes a new friend, Nicholas, who is aiming for the Jump-Off as well. They train together and help each other, until, at the very last moment, a hoof abscess and another accident may keep them both out of the competition! The thing I enjoyed most while reading this book was its realism. The author obviously knows horses well. The horses' personalities and the events that happen are described excellently. The book is also very educational on subjects such as foal-raising, jumping, showing, and general horse care. I jump with my own horse, who, like Rusty and Heather, knows way more than I do about it!! I was really able to relate to everything that happened to Heather as she perfected her jumping skills. It made Rusty a very enjoyable read for me. Many lessons about friendship and good sportsmanship are woven into the story as well. This whole series is made up of very realistic and entertaining horse stories. I would highly recommend this and the two preceding books, and I hope the series continues!!!!

This is my favorite book from the Morgan series. I like to jump my horse so I could really relate to the people in this book that like to jump. Heather gets nervous at a show and I had that happen too. I couldn't wait to see what happened at the big show at the end. It was great.

Once again, Ellen Feld has written a wonderful tale for readers young and old. The third in her series, from the first page Feld brings to life Heather Richardson and her Morgans and friends. I'm sorry I didn't have books like these to read when I was a young reader! A pure delight!